Monday, the Virginia Education Association put out a press release regarding the education proposal of Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell. The release carried the above title.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell has treated Virginia voters to yet another ‘sleight of hand’ policy proposal when it comes to education funding.
“Bob McDonnell’s latest idea to increase funding for public schools is a ‘clunker’ without the cash,” said Dr. Kitty Boitnott, President of the Virginia Education Association.
The latest McDonnell proposal is a re-tread of an idea that has been soundly rejected in states across the country both in the forms of legislation and ballot initiatives. McDonnell’s proposal is misleading since the calculation of dollars supposedly spent in the classroom simplistically neglects to include essential school services for children that are delivered by school counselors, social workers, nurses, speech and language pathologists, and vitally important special education support staff.
Boitnott added: “After reading his graduate school thesis, I am better able to understand Mr. McDonnell’s voting behavior as a Delegate and the education proposals he has put forward in this campaign. As Governor, his ideas will lead Virginia backward, something our children, our educators, and our citizens simply cannot afford.”
McDonnell’s newest proposal for funding public education comes on the heels of his plan to fund needed state transportation projects by draining General Fund money from schools and other core state services.
McDonnell’s transportation plan foretold the use of his new funding gimmick to address Virginia’s school funding crisis. Two comprehensive studies by Standard & Poor’s have concluded that there is no correlation between setting “classroom instruction” spending at 65 percent and higher student achievement. In fact, the researchers found that many districts that spend less than 65 percent in the classroom do quite well on state tests, while others that exceed 65 percent do poorly.
Boitnott said: “We deserve a Governor who will be forthright with us, a Governor who exhibits steadfast support for public education and not a ‘reborn moderate’ who sees the light of public education during an election campaign for Governor.”
The study that the press release references can be found, in pdf format, here.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
I’ve seen it all now!!!!
The VEA arguing against spending money in the class room!!!
Keep in mind…..I don’t like McDonnell and hope I can force myself to vote for Deeds. HRTA champion McDonnell gets no prize from me on solving transportation or any other issue.
Further, Speech & language pathologists are “in classroom” in my opinion. So are special education support.
Counselors and social workers? What are social workers doing in schools? Why is the education budget supporting them? A counselor or other administrative staff are more than capable of calling social services and have them visit the school.
I have not read McDonnell’s proposal. I don’t like McDonnell, just on the face of it, Boitnott’s attack piece is FAR disappointing and something I can’t support.
As we close down elementary schools in Virginia Beach due to over capacity, it is hard for me to rationalize increasing spending. At least locally. Statewide, maybe there is an arguement. Not from Boitnott though!
Do we have a transportation problem? Do we? No really, do we? Because Bob and Democrats both say we do. If we don’t, then fine. We don’t need to raid the general fund which should not be confused with a fund soley to fund education that is never “on the table” for cuts and thereby subject to all kinds of bloat.
It is HEALTHY to make occasional cuts in EVERY budget. Special Interests don’t give a damn about emergencies if it threatens, even temporarily, their percentage of what they insist should be an ever increasing pie.
I mean really, when the VEA comes out argueing that increased spending directly related to the classroom is near meaningless, then there is a horible problem of waste. They deserve immediate cuts and the self-interested motivations of the unions need to be put under the microsope.
School spending generally does not correlate with educational outcomes.
http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_5982482
(Just ignore the nonsense in that article about Iowa’s SAT Scores. Iowa is a ACT state, not and SAT state, so only about 3% of Iowa students — those who intend to go to a college that requires SATs — take the test.)
Well, of course it doesn’t Mouse, if you just throw mispent money after bad. Further,there is that economic law of diminishing returns. At some point there will be a ‘lack of return’ on investment.
They pay way more per student in some areas where they just fail to educate anywhere near like Virginia Beach.
Problem is, the gaurdians of the education funding could care less about that. They’re driven by selfish motives just as many bureaucrats are.
What is the purpose of our educational system? To educate students………… I thought. The VEA must not see it that way. It must also be some kinda slush fund for special interests.